What is Cost Behavior Analysis? Cost behavior analysis refers to management’s attempt to understand how operating costs change in relation to a change in an organization’s level of activity. These costs may include direct materials, direct labor, and overhead costs that are incurred from developing a product. Management typically performs cost behavior analysis through mathematical…
What is Activity-Based Costing? Activity-based costing is a more specific way of allocating overhead costs based on “activities” that actually contribute to overhead costs. In job-order costing and variance analysis, overhead costs are applied based on a specific cost driver such as labor hours or machine hours. An activity is an event, task, or unit…
Accounting Forums – Overview There are several accounting forums on the internet that offer both students and professionals from different locations the opportunity to connect and reach out to one another. Businesses are also taking advantage of the growing number of online communities to find new customers and engage them. Online accounting forums are now the…
What is an Auditor’s Report? An independent Auditor’s Report is an official opinion issued by an external or internal auditor as to the quality and accuracy of the financial statements prepared by a company. The report is a primary source of communication between the auditor and users of financial statements. The users include equity holders,…
What is Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB)? Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) is a budgeting technique that allocates funding based on efficiency and necessity rather than budget history. Management starts from scratch and develops a budget that only includes operations and expenses essential to running the business; there are no expenses that are automatically added to the budget. All…
What is the Revenue Recognition Principle? The revenue recognition principle dictates the process and timing by which revenue is recorded and recognized as an item in a company’s financial statements. Theoretically, there are multiple points in time at which revenue could be recognized by companies. Generally speaking, the earlier revenue is recognized, it is said…
What are Source Documents? Every time a business is involved in a financial transaction, a paper trail is generated. This paper trail is referred to in accounting as source documents. Whether checks are written to be paid out, sales are made to generate receipts, billing invoices are sent by suppliers, or work hours are recorded on an…
What is Petty Cash? Petty cash refers to a small amount of hard currency that a businesses will keep on hand to pay for miscellaneous and unexpected items, such as team lunches, birthday cakes, or office snacks. Petty cash is usually a relatively small amount, and is grouped with the general cash account on the…
What is Revenue Variance Analysis? Revenue Variance Analysis is used to measure differences between actual sales and expected sales, based on sales volume metrics, sales mix metrics, and contribution margin calculations. Information obtained from Revenue Variance Analysis is important to organizations because it enables management to determine actual sales performance in relation to the projected…
